Holder for keys



NV 11 l952 A. zAccARDo HOLDER FOR KEYS Filed May 19, 1950 i l ll INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 11, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOLDER FOR KEYS Anthony Zaccardo, Haverstraw, N. Y. Application May'19, 1950, Serial No. 163,015

With the increased use of parking meters in cities and towns, it` becomes increasingly iinportant vfor motorists to have coins to place in the parking meters, and to remember that coins must be put in the parking meters. While a motorist goes into a store to obtain change, his car may be tagged by a policeman for illegal parking; and the motorist is not excused by alleging that he had gone for change to put in the parking meter.

It is an object of this invention to provide a holder for automobile keys and parking meter coins. When a motorist takes the keys out of his car after parking, the holder of this invention serves as a reminder that a coin should be placed in the parking meter, and also provides coins for use in the meter. By replenishing the supply of coins in the holder of this invention from time to time, the owner of the invention never finds himself without change when he needs it for use in a parking meter.

One object of the invention is to provide a holder for keys and parking meter coins with key hooks and a coin pocket correlated in position so as to locate the coins at the region where the keys impart the minimum of thickness to the holder. This result is obtained by having key hooks located at a substantial distance above the coin pocket so that the overlapping heads of the keys are above the portion of the pocket t that holds the coins, though the lower portions of the keys extend downward across the pocket and keep the total height of the key and coin holder within the limits of a conventional key case.

Another object of the invention is to provide a folding holder for keys and parking meter coins with a pocket which is accessible through along slot that extends across a major portion of two panels of the folding holder, and that has a slide fastener for opening and closing the entrance to the coin pocket with the slide fastener extending in such a direction that it does not interfere with the folding of the panels of the holder upon one another.

One feature of the invention relates to a construction which permits the use of a wide pocket extending across more than one panel of the holder with provision for preventing coins from lodging across the fold line when the panels are in an unfolded position. The subsequent folding of the panels would be difhcult and inconvenient with a coin located across the line of the fold.

Other objects, features and advantages of the 2 Claims. (Cl. 150q-37) l description proceeds.

invention will appear In 'the drawing, forming a part hereof, in which like reference characters indicate .corresponding parts in all the views,

Fig. 1 is a view, partly broken away, showing the inside of the keyv and coin holder of this invention with the panels in the unfolded positions that they occupy when the holder is open,

Fig. 2 is a view showing the outside of the key andpcoin'holder of Fig. 1, with the panels in, the same unfolded positions as in Fig. 1, andv with the coin pocketopen throughout a portion of its length, j

Fig. 3 isa sectional view taken along the line `3--3 of Fig. 2-. g

The holder of this inventionv comprises an outside cover I0, preferably made of a single piece of leather, and comprising three panels II,I2, and I3 that are hinged together along `fold lines I5. In the preferred construction the leather is suiiiciently flexible so that no scoring or other weakening of the material at the fold lines isA necessary. 4

There is a slot I'I opening through the cover I i) and extending across the major portion of the panels I2 yand I3. This slot I'I extends transversely of the fold line I5 that connects the panels I 2 and I3, and preferably extends at right angles to the fold line. The slot is open and closed by a slide fastener of the type which has cooperating fastener elements 20 connected with tapes 2I and 22 that are secured to the holder along the lower and upper edges of the slot. The slide fastener elements are brought together and moved -apart by a slider 24 which is pulled along the slide fastener by a tab 25. Such slide fasteners are well known in the art and no further descriptionxof. them is necessary for a complete understanding of this invention.

There is a lining 21 extending over the entire inner surface of the cover I0 in the illustrated embodiment of the invention. Less extensive lining can be used and in some models of the invention the lining covers only the lower portion of the cover below the slotl I'I and to a level just above the slot. The lining 2l is connected with the cover around the side and bottom edges of the lining by a row of stitching 28 so as to form a coin pocket between the cover Ii) and the lining 2l. The slot I'I provides access to the coin pocket below the slot; and the space between the lining and the cover above the slot, and beyond the end of the slot, is cutl oil from the coin pocket by lines or be'pointed` out as theV the panels. from being folded andwouldputtheuser of theinvention to the inconvenienceofl moving the coins about in the pocket until he obtained a clear space along the fold. In thel construction illustrated there is a partition.

formed by a double line of stitching 34 extendingV upward from the bottom portions of' thecover' and lining to a region somewhat below the slot I1. It is desirable to havethis partition extend.r far enough up in the pocket so that it separates the coins into the separate compartments of the pocket; but it Aisalso desirab1e.that.the stitchingJ 34 does not extendall the waylupto the .slot II because accessto thediierentcompartments is muchmore convenient. ifthe user. ot the invention..

can put his nger into either ofthe compartments fromeither end of .the slot-across. the space above the upper endoffthe stitching 34. Y

Substantial additionalstrength i's obtainedat a` place wherer the stitching is subjectedl to the greatest strainby havingthe line .of stitching 34 acontinuati'onand. a branch ofthe line offstitchingthat .connectsthe lining tothe bottomportionof'the cover. .Y

In the manufacture of the invention, thestitching. progresses. along thebottom. portion of. the middle panel I2, andthe cover andlining are turnedat right angles when .the stitching. reaches the foldlinei thatV joinsthe panels I21andl3. The stitching. cOntinuesup. the fold. line making. the.V .line` of 'stitching indicated by, the reference character 34; and Vwhen the linestitching 34 has reached a level somewhat less than one-half. way. up to theslot I1, the cover' and liningare. turned about the needle through an'angle of 180' so 'that as the stitching continues it comes back to the bottomportion ofthe lining and cover'leaving a double*stitchingjgalong `the line 34. Tl'iejli'ningi and' cover" are then turnedA 90 to permitv the stitching to continue along the bottom of the panel I3. With this' procedure, the'stitching 34v is af continuous thread with the'linefof stitching along the bottom ofthe holder and' this adds further to the strengthx of theconnection provided byA the stitching 34.

The-tapes 2I and 22'are preferably glued to the" cover IU alngthelowerandupper'edgesof the slot I1 before being secured in'place'bystitching. The loweri'tape 2'I is then. stitchedtofthe cover` Il), and onlyitcfthe cover-I0, by a. line :of stitching 3'5. The-lining 2.1v is thenapplied'tothe inside surfacefofithefcover andtheupper tape 22:?isrsecured-tobotlrxthe cover "and the lining 21by" arrow of stitching 30 which4 alsoffastens' the lining. tothe covenand prevents coinsirrthecoin pocketv from getting `between thexcover and the lining; at=locations above'the slot I-1f where it would' befdicultftoreach the coins-and where they wouldv increase thethickness ofv the holder at a region where the overlappingheads of keys inthe holdergivethe key assemblyits maximum thickneSSl Atthe upper end of .the .panel I2 there isametal. bracket 40'having slots 4`I into. which there. are inserted'theheadsof key hooks. which hang down from` thebracket40" over the 'face ofthe lining' 21`.Vv The bracket'40is located over the 4 lining 21 when the invention is made with the lining extending over the entire inner surface of the cover I0. Fastening means, preferably hollow rivets 46, extend through both the lining 21 and the cover I0 for securing the bracket 40 in place.

When the invention is in use, keys 48 are put on the hooks 44 and hang down across the slot I1 and across at least a portion of the coin pocket, but 'the keys are separated .from the'slot I1, the slide fastener'and the coins, by` the lining 21 whichforms one wall of the coin pocket.

` When the holder is folded, the panel I3 is hinged.` over panel I2 so as to cover the bracket 40; hooks 44 and keys 48. Panel I I is then folded :over across; the `outside of the panel I3, and a socketelementl of a snap fastener secured to the panell I engages a ball element 52 secured to thefpanel...l3 and comprising the complementary portion of the snap fastener. The holder is kept closed.A by. this.- snap. fastener 5I.-52,.and. any particularkey that: is to be usedv while the .holder isclosedmust be swungsupwardabout the bracket.

40beforethepanels are folded in on one another.. In the region of. the hooks 44, wherethe head.

portions of the keys overlap one another,.the keys have their maximum effect inincreasing the thickness of.v theholder. Itis a feature of the invention that the region where the key assembly has its maximum thickness is located above the coin pocket so that when' there' are coins,Y in the pocket, onlythelower portion ofthe holder will have its thickness increased. by the coins. Because of' this correlation, the holder of this invention, even though it has a substantial` number ofve cent and one cent pieces in its coin pockets is not anymore bulky or thicker' than the conventional key case the difference being. merely that the thickness of the holder Aof this invention extends throughout substantially.

the entire height oflithe-holder whereasv conven-Y tional key cases have anon-uniform thickness with theregion of. greatest thickness located near the. upper endsof the keys.

Fig. 3` shows the way in which a coin 55 canbe. pulled. up vin the pocket by afinger 56 insertedv into the coin pocket through the slot I-1. The

leather of the cover I0is suiciently flexible to pull outward so that a coin can be pulled outof the pocket inthe manner illustrated in Fig. 3.

Thepreferred construction of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed', but changes andmodications can be made and somefeatures of the invention can be used alone and in different combinations without departing from thel inventionv as dened in. the claims.

I claim-as my invention:

1. In a conventional. key case including a flex-- ible sheet having a plurality of panels, atleast one: of whichfolds over another to close the case, a. plurality of key hooks connected to oneI of the panels at its upper end and extending transversely of the line along which the panelsfold, the improvement comprising a lining covering. the inside of at least part of at least one ofthe panels, the panel having the lining being slotted along a portion of its area over the lining toA provide access to the space between the lining andthe panel over Which the lining extends, and releasable fastening means that holdv the slot closed.

2. The key case described in claim 1, andv in which the slotis located near one edge of the lining, and a slide fastener is connected to the panel from opposite sides of the slotfor closing the slot,V and stitching extends through the panel and along the edges of the lining to secure the lining to the panel, the stitching along one edge of the lining also securing one side of the slide fastener to the panel.

ANTHONY ZACCARDO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS y Name Date Kerst et al. Nov. 8, 1904 Buxton July 25, 1922 Buxton July 17, 1934 Swanson Jan. 2, 1940 Koelling May 21, 1940 Dubilier July '7, 1942 Reichle Sept. 26, 1944 

